From the Blumberg House to Salt Shaker Woodworks, Higgins Longleaf Pine carries its story forward.
Higgins Longleaf Pine
The Story
Mr. and Mrs. Higgins live in what folks around Seguin know as the Blumberg House, a grand home that’s been standing for more than a century. When the front porch needed rebuilding, I was the one called in — partly because of rot and design issues, and partly because Mrs. Higgins happens to be my oldest daughter. A father’s duty, you might say.
The porch as it was originally built looked massive, with oversized columns and heavy walls that hid the front of the house. I suggested slimming down the columns and replacing the porch walls with railings of my own design. What started as a “little porch work” turned into a much bigger project than anyone imagined, but in the end the porch stood lighter, stronger, and ready for another hundred years.
That house was built in 1912, and the original porch columns were cut from old-growth longleaf pine. As a thank-you for the work, the Higgins family let me carry that lumber into my shop. What I found in it was extraordinary — boards that had stood outdoors for 120 years, and before that had lived for centuries as part of a tree. The grain was so tight I once tried to count the rings. I gave up somewhere after 500, my eyes crossing at the effort, but the point was clear: this was wood you simply cannot buy anymore unless you know a guy.
To return the favor, I built the Higgins family a pair of Adirondack chairs, a small table, and a swing for their new porch. The rest of that old-growth pine — Higgins Longleaf Pine — now carries its story forward in the Salt Shaker Woodworks shop.
About the Tree
Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) once stretched across the American South in vast old-growth forests, covering some 90 million acres. These trees grew tall and straight — often more than 100 feet — with dense, resin-rich heartwood that set them apart from the plantation pines we know today.
By the mid-20th century, most of those forests were gone, logged and cleared until only a fraction remained. What you see today in most yards and timber stands are faster-grown pines — useful, but lacking the tight grain and durability of old growth.
The photo here is simply an example of the species — not the exact trees that supplied the boards reclaimed from the Blumberg House porch.
About the Wood
Old-growth longleaf pine is in a class of its own. The boards salvaged from the Higgins porch carry more than a century of service in the Texas weather, but their story stretches back even further — to a tree that grew slowly, ring by ring, for hundreds of years before it was ever cut. That kind of time leaves its mark. The grain is impossibly tight, dense with resin, and rich in warm amber tones that modern pine simply can’t match.
In the shop, Higgins Longleaf Pine works smooth and finishes with a glow that seems to come from within. Each piece reveals not just the durability of the species, but the irreplaceable beauty of wood that has stood the test of centuries.
Why It Matters
Every board of Higgins Longleaf Pine carries more than grain and resin — it carries over five centuries of history. First as a tree that grew slowly, ring by ring, for hundreds of years. Then as part of the Blumberg House since 1912, where it stood another 120 years in service. And now in my shop, its story continues.
The rings, counted past five hundred before I quit, remind me that patience is written into every inch of it. A sawmill does not create character; it only reveals what time has already written. For me, working with Higgins Longleaf Pine isn’t just about its strength or beauty — it’s about honoring wood that can’t be replaced, and giving it a chance to live on in new form.
Made From
Built from Higgins Longleaf Pine, the tight grain and warm color show off a herringbone pattern that’s one of a kind. Available now.
Crafted from Higgins Longleaf Pine, this wine topper carries both story and service. Available now.
Higgins Longleaf Pine is rare, old-growth wood you simply can’t buy at a lumberyard. Only two pieces are available right now — the wine topper and the charcuterie platter shown above. This wood is extremely limited, but more custom work can be crafted from my remaining stock. If you have an idea in mind, I’d be glad to build it.